Systems for positioning harvesting heads relative to combines are generally known. These systems normally have hydraulic and electronic positioners which position the head based upon the distance of the head from the surface upon which the head is operating. In particular, the operator selects a desired operating position for the head and the positioner operates to maintain the head at the desired operating position. A few system provide mechanical arrangements (e.g. lever supported pointers moveable relative to a graduated scale) which the operator of the combine can view to determine the actual distance of the head from the surface. However, these systems do not provide electronic displays for displaying alpha-numeric data representative of the head position which the operator can readily view from within the combine cab.
Additionally, known head positioning controls do not position harvesting heads based a combination of the position of the head relative to the implement, the location of the head relative to the surface, and the force at which the surface supports the head. By providing this type of control, harvesting efficiency is improved by giving the combine operator more control over head positioning. However, to make this type of control easier for the operator to use, it is important to provide the operator with appropriate feedback. More specifically, position, location and force control of a head are improved when the operator can view a display which produced information representative of the position, location and force.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an electronic harvesting head positioning system having position, location and/or force control, and an appropriate display device to provide the combine operator with an appropriate representation of position, location and/or force.